BOSTON -- The Boston archdiocese has put up for sale the
archbishop's residence to help pay for an $85 million settlement
with victims of clergy sex abuse. On the market is the stately
three-story mansion and more than 27 acres of surrounding land,
according to Ft. Christopher Coyne, spokesperson for the archdiocese.
The sale does not include the chancery, which houses archdiocesan
offices, or St. John's Seminary. Since arriving in Boston in July,
Archbishop Scan O'Malley has lived in an apartment behind the
Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

Selling the residence helps fulfill O'Malley's promise
that no collection plate money will be used to pay for the record
settlement. A plan O'Malley presented to the archdiocesan Finance
Council Dec. 3 proposes funding the settlement with short-term loans and
paying back the lenders with proceeds from the sale of the Brighton
property and insurance money.

Boston College, a Jesuit university located across the street from
the chancery, has expressed interest in purchasing the property. The
Associated Press reported that real estate experts say the land could
fetch up to $20 million.

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